Sunday, June 12, 2016

Game of Thrones S6E8 No One Recap/Review (Spoilers): Wild Theories and Disappointment

The Game of Thrones episode No One might not have satisfied
many fans of the show. There were things to enjoy in the episode, but the main
focus of the night was a letdown. Arya’s story with the Faceless Men was anticlimactic,
and could have ended episodes ago if this was all it was leading to. There were
many wild theories about how Arya was actually The Waif, and that it wasn’t
really her who got stabbed and fell into the water. Other’s predicted it was
all a setup and she planned to lead The Waif to where she kept Needle and fight
her in the dark, which is what happened, but it wasn’t a setup.

If Arya had wanted to set The Waif up then she did a very
poor job of it. She got the person killed who was healing her, and then almost
didn’t make it back to her hideout. Maybe it was all a plan and her plan went
wrong because of the stabbing, but there should have been more clues to this
within the last two episodes. Then we didn’t even get to see the fight between
the two of them. Granted it was in the dark, but there are still ways they
could have shown some action. Arya did learn many skills while she was in
Bravos, but her time there ultimately feels wasted. It went on too long for the
conclusion provided. Arya is one of my favorite characters because of how much
she has had to endure and survive, and her adventures here didn’t seem to add
anything to her overall struggle.

Another anticlimactic showdown was in Kings Landing. We got
a taste of what the new Mountain can do with his bare hands, which was an
amazing scene, but then followed up by the decree outlawing trials by combat.
This will force Cersei to come before the High Sparrow and be tried by his court,
along with Loras. She must rely on the secrets Qyburn has found out, and hope
that is enough to save her. Margery also has a plan to save her brother, which
might also benefit Cersei, but her help can’t be relied upon. There is no one
truly to root for in King’s Landing. I have no sympathy for Cersei, and I can’t
stand the High Sparrow. Tommen is a sweet character who is stuck in the middle,
but not someone you want to succeed. Cersei is the evil who will probably
triumph, because it is her story the audience is following.

Jamie’s story was another disappointment on the night. The
interactions he had with Brienne was great, but I want there to be more growth
between them, and for him to finally stop pining for Cersei.

This is from a
love for his character in the books, and the transformation he goes through
there. I still enjoy Jamie’s character in the show, but think they could play
up his struggle to overcome his dishonor, and downplay his love for his sister.
He doesn’t take pride in being The Kingslayer, and wants to try and become an
honorable man. That is what I wanted from his interaction with Edmond. It was a
great back and forth, and a powerful scene, I just wish they would have went a
different way with it. All he can think of is getting back to King’s Landing,
and I to see him struggling more with his conscience.

The lack of a fight for the castle was a bit of a letdown as
well. It would have been nice to see some sort of battle. They could have at
least shown us Blackfish fighting to the death. The only fighting we saw
tonight was from The Hound, which was satisfying, but there should have been
some more action in the episode. They had opportunities to show more, but they
went away from it at every chance they could. Even when The Hound met up with
the true brotherhood they could have let him hack a prisoner up, but they just
hanged them. Still another good scene, but just a bit of a letdown. It would
have been nice to see him fight some more with his axe.

We got a brief glimpse of what is going to happen in Meereen
next week with Daenerys’ return. The scenes in Meereen just felt like they were
waiting for her to get back. The scenes were entertaining, but unneeded. Hey,
um yeah, we are still stuck in the city, and waiting for Danny to get back, while
we wait lets tell some jokes. It was a good scene, and it was nice to see
Tyrion starting to win the two of them over, but then to quickly lose them with
the arrival of the slavers. It was great to see Danny show up, and the next episode
will be nothing but action. Danny fighting
with her Dragons, and Jon vs Ramsey.

Tonight’s episode might be my least favorite of the season,
because of the way they used Arya. It was her story they were wrapping up, and
we may not see her again until the finale. Her time in Bravos feels wasted, but
hopefully they recover and her story becomes more compelling again. Next week
looks to be an epic episode with the Battle of the Bastards, and the battle for
Meereen. Maybe we will get to see all three dragons in action, along with an amazing
battle in the North. The last few episodes haven’t been as strong as the start
of the season, but a fantastic final two episodes and this still could be one
of the best seasons for the show.

Did you feel letdown by Arya’s story? Did you want more
action in tonight’s episode? Comment and let me know.